Survey finds Singapore workers rank pay and growth higher than employers deliver
Work-life balance held its position as Singapore's top employer value proposition (EVP) driver for a fourth consecutive year. Randstad released the finding in its 15th annual Employer Brand Research this week. But career progression and equal opportunities posted the sharpest year-on-year gains among the EVP factors employers must address, the report found.
The independent study was commissioned by Randstad and conducted by Kantar in January 2026. It surveyed 2,500 respondents in Singapore as part of a global poll of 166,000 people. Work-life balance was cited by 68% of respondents, ahead of salary and benefits at 64%. Career progression climbed to third place at 55%, up from 51% in 2025. Equal opportunities rose to 54%, from 50% a year earlier, the report said.
Career growth, equity climb fastest
Generational differences were stark. Gen Z respondents ranked equal opportunities second among ideal-employer traits, ahead of salary and career progression. Millennials ranked work-life balance first and salary second, while Gen X reversed that order, the report found. Reasons for leaving also varied by generation. Gen Z and millennial respondents ranked a desire to improve work-life balance as their top reason to leave, while Gen X cited low compensation first.
A separate Gallup study of Singapore business leaders found limited progress on this front. Leaders interviewed in February and March 2026 rated their organisations' adaptation of practices for younger employees at a mean score of 3.25 out of 5, with none reporting strong agreement that meaningful change had occurred. Gallup's interviews drew on senior leaders from Singapore's private and public sectors.
Pay, growth remain unmet promises
Salary and benefits ranked seventh, and career progression eighth, when respondents rated their current employer against a list of 12 attributes. Yet those same two factors ranked second and third on respondents' profile of an ideal employer, the report said. The mismatch signals where employer branding investment is falling short, according to the report. It recommended that organisations restructure compensation frameworks and build transparent internal career pathways to close the gap.
Independent salary data point to why the pay gap persists. Mercer's latest Total Remuneration Survey found employees in Singapore are expected to see an average salary increase of 4% in 2026, closely aligned with the 4.1% growth recorded in 2025. The survey reviewed pay trends across nearly 6,000 roles in more than 1,100 Singapore organisations. Real wage growth continues to face pressure amid a more challenging economic climate, Mercer said.
Reliable pay anchors job security
Reliable pay and benefits were the leading factor linked to job security, cited by 65% of respondents. Performance recognition and career continuity followed at 47%, the report said. Too-low compensation overtook work-life balance as the top reason talent cited for wanting to leave an employer in 2026, at 44% versus 43%. Lack of career growth ranked third at 39%, followed by poor relations with management at 33% and a negative work environment at 31%.
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower reported separately that the resignation rate fell to a historical low of 1.0% in the first quarter of 2026. That was down from 1.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025. MOM attributed the slowdown to workers becoming more reluctant to leave their current jobs amid greater uncertainty. Job-switching intentions in the Randstad survey, by contrast, held above 30%.
